The October 2008 debut trailer was done as a Behind the Music spoof called Inside the Game complete with Jim Forbes narration.

It chronicles Matt Hazard's successes and hardships, and mirrors the progression of the Duke Nukem series of games, from early 8-bit to modern consoles.

Eat Lead is a third-person shooter where the player takes the role of satirical video game character Matt Hazard, implementing an over-the-shoulder camera perspective with combat emphasizing a duck-and-cover system using walls and other objects in the game's environment, in a similar fashion to Gears of War.

Much of the scenery provides only temporary cover as after a certain amount of damage, it will glitch and be "edited out" of the game, leaving a tear in the level.

Matt can only carry two weapons at once from a continually changing selection, due to the repeated manipulation of the game's environment and level switching.

As the game progresses, weapon upgrades are made available that can be applied for temporary effects such as bullets that can freeze enemies.

Upon rescuing Bill and defeating version 2 of Sniperscope, Wellesley is advised by his assistant to put Matt's friends into the game as bait to lure him.

While on a cruise liner which serves as the current level, Matt is attacked by space marines while saving Master Chef.

Matt is not fooled or confused when each claims the other is the impostor, knowing the red is the fake as she has provided no help, directed him into constant ambushes, and because she flirted with him.

The boss is a parody of Japanese RPG protagonists (specifically Cloud Strife) who speaks entirely through textboxes that require Matt to press a button to continue.

After making it through the docks and defeating (finishing) Sting Sniperscope for a third time the game employs a false ending, after which Matt suddenly gets transported to a virtual Marathon Megasoft company headquarters.

Game Informer notes that Will Arnett voices Matt Hazard, while Neil Patrick Harris portrays Marathon executive Wallace "Wally" Wellesley.

This process of parodying action games and other genres is greatly assisted by the fact that Matt Hazard is capable of breaking the fourth wall.

The parodies include references to long elevator waits as a mask for game loading, text scrolling RPGs, tutorials, various action games, Mario Bros., Duke Nukem, Dungeons & Dragons, Bugs Bunny, evil twins, Halo's Master Chief, Wolfenstein 3D, Red Steel, Mortal Kombat, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Resident Evil, and more.

A sequel, entitled Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond, was released for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.